Manufacture of detonating fuses



FIP8303 E. c. A. HARLE 1,802,508

MANUFACTURE OF DETONATING FUSES ApgiIZS, 1931 Filed July 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Shea 1 //v new 70/? E fie nne Char/es Ame'de'e HA1?! E by W Afforney Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES ETIENNE CHARLES AMEDEE HAELE, OF PITRES, EURE, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SOCIE'IE HAELE FRERES & oIE, 0F PITRES, FRANCE MANUFACTURE OF DETONATING FUSES Application filed July 10, 1930, Serial No. 466,931, and in France July 10, 1929.

According to the current method for the manufacture of detonating fuses, a tube consisting of tin or lead preliminarily heated upon a heating table is filled with a melted explosive, and after cooling, the said tube is drawn to the requisite diameter by any suitable process. However, in this process the length of the resulting fuses is limited by the length of the heating table, among other defects.

To obtain a greater length of fuse, the tube might indeed be wound upon a heated drum, but the construction of such an apparatus oifers certain difficulties, and all efforts in this direction appear to have failed.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the manufacture of detonating fuses, in which the tube to be filled with the material is helically wound upon the surface of a cylindrical heating vessel which is rotatable on a vertical axis, said invention being chiefly characterized by the fact that the feeding of the fluid explosive substance into the tube which is helically wound on the cylindrical vessel, takes place through the interior of said vessel by means of a conduit which traverses its wall and which is connected to the lower end of the wound tube. Due to this arrangement, the said tube is filled with material in an approved manner; in fact, when the tube is removed from the cylindrical heating vessel and becomes cooled, the explosive substance will'shrink when it solidifies, and hence it is essential that the tube should be maintained in constant communication with the melted explosive during the whole period of the unwinding and the cooling of the tube, or otherwise cavities will be formed in the cooled explosive substance.

The recipient containing the melted explosive is wholly or partially contained in the upper part of the rotatable cylindrical vessel which serves to heat the said recipient and to maintain the explosive in the fluidstate.

To obtain the necessary pressure-as measured by a gaugeupon the fluid explosive for the proper filling of the tube, the upper part of said recipient may be connected with a supply of compressed air or other gas.

The invention further relates to contain constructional features whereby the regular and automatic operation of the apparatus will be obtained to the maximum degree.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is the cylindrical heating vessel provided with its filling device, in axial section.

Fig. 2 is a general diagrammatic view of the plant.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a cylindrical heating vessel which rests by means of a ring 2 upon rollers 3, and is rotated about its vertical axis by a pinion 4 engaging a toothed portion of the ring 2; heating steam is supplied to the upper part of the vessel by a pipe 5, and the water of condensation issues at the bottom through a conduit 6; axial stuffingboxes 7 and 8 allow this circulation of steam and water of condensation during the rotation of the vessel. A helical flange 9 is welded or otherwise secured to the cylindrical surface of the vessel, and its spiral turns form a ramp supporting the tin or lead tube 10 which serves to form the detonating fuse.

According to the invention, the melted explosive is supplied to the interior of said vessel by a tube 11 extending through the cylindrical wall of the vessel, and to its outer end 11 is connected the lower end of the tube 10 to be filled. Thus when the vessel is rotated in order to unwind the filled tube by drawing upon its upper end, the tube will constantly remain connected at 11 to the feeding supply of the melted explosive, and no cavities due to shrinkage by cooling will be produced in the explosive.

The material is preferably fed by a recipient 12 which is wholly or partially contained in the upper part of the steam vessel 1, so that it will be constantly heated to the proper temperature.

To provide for the proper flow of the melted explosive throughout the whole length of the wound tube, the viscosity of the explosive being usually great, the recipient 12 is provided with a tight cover 12 and the melted substance may be subjected to the pressure of air or other gas supplied by a pipe 13.

Fig. 2 is a general view of the plant. The tube 11 is unwound from its reel 14 and is wound upon the vessel 1, proceeding between the supporting rollers 15 according to the dotted line, the vessel 1 being rotated on its vertical axis. To assure an automatic and reliable winding of the tube on the helical flange 9, it is guided before attaining the vessel by a suitable guide 16 mounted upon a supporting member which is vertically slidable in uprights 18; an arm 19 is mounted on said guide, and it carries at the outer end a small roller 20 which rolls upon the said helical flange and thus automatically actuates the said guide, which latter is also counterbalanced by a weight 21 in order to reduce the pressure of the roller 20 upon said flange.

A small compressor 22 supplies a tank 23 which may be connected to the recipient 12 containing the explosive by a flexible hose 13.

When the tube has been filled with the melted explosive, it is unwound from top to bottom in such manner that during the whole operation, its lower end which turns with the vessel will remain connected at 11 to the explosive recipient. During this unwinding operation, the tube 10 follows the path 10; it first moves in contact with guiding rollers 24, and then proceeds into a tank 25 above a cold water shower pipe 26 by which it is rapidly cooled before it is again wound on the reel 14. The water which is sent upwardly by the shower tube is made to descend into the vessel by a sheet metal screen 27, and the water flows out through a discharge pipe 28.

Obviously, the general dispositions of the plant or the details of construction may be varied within considerable limits without departing from the invention.

Claims:

1. An apparatus for the manufacture of detonating fuses, comprising a vessel which is rotatable on a vertical axis and is provided with means for the internal heating of its lateral walls, a helical ramp which is mounted on the outer surface of said walls and serves to support a tube which is to be filled with an explosive substance, a recipient adapted to contain the melted explosive with which the said tube is to be filled, said recipient being provided with heating means;

and a conduit leading from said recipient, which passes through the interior of said vessel, traverses its wall, and ends at the exterior of said wall in such manner that the said tube which is to be filled with the explosive substance may be connected to the said recipient containing the explosive substance.

2. An apparatus for the manufacture of detonating fuses, comprising a vessel which is rotatable on a vertical axis and is provided with means for the internal heating of its lateral walls, a helical ramp which is mounted on the outer surface of said walls and serves to support a tube which is to be filled with an explosive substance, a recipient adapted to contain the melted explosive, which is mounted in said vessel and is rotatable therewith, said recipient being provided with heating means, and a conduit leading from said recipient, which passes through the interior of said vessel, traverses its wall, and ends at the exterior of said wall in such manner that the said tube which is to be filled with the explosive substance may be connected to the said recipient containing the said substance.

3. An apparatus for the manufacture of detonating fuses, comprising a vessel which is rotatable on a vertical axis and is provided with means for the internal heating of its lateral walls, a helical ramp which is mounted on the outer surface of said walls and serves to support a tube which is to be filled with an explosive substance, a closed recipient adapted to contain the melted explosive substance which is mounted in said vessel and is rotatable therewith, said recipient being provided with external heating means and with a supply of gas un-" der pressure, and a conduit leading from said recipient which passes through the interior of the said vessel, traverses its wall, and ends at the exterior of said wall in such manner that the said tube which is to be filled with the explosive substance may be connected to the said recipient containing the said substance.

4. An apparatus for the manufacture of detonating fuses, comprising a vessel having lateral cylindrical walls which is rotatable on a vertical axis, an intake of heating fluid provided at one end of said cylindrical vessel and a corresponding offtake at the other end, a helical ramp which is mounted on the outer surface of said walls and serves to support a tube which is to be filled with an explosive substance, a recipient adapted to contain the melted explosive substance which is mounted in the upper part of said cylindrical vessel in such manner as to be heated by the same fluid which heats the walls of the vessel itself, and a conduit leading from said recipient which passes through the interior of the said vessel, traverses its wall and ends at the exterior of said wall in such manner that the said tube which is to be filled with the explosive substance may be connected to the said recipient containing the said substance.

5. An apparatus for the manufacture of detonating fuses, comprising a metallic vessel having lateral cylindrical walls and a vertical axis, a support for the bottom of said vessel, said support being rotatable on lts axis which coincides with the axis of said cylindrical vessel, means for rotating said support on its axis, a heating steam intake mounted in the top of said vessel, a stuflingbox positioned on the axial part of said intake in order to provide for the rotation, an offtake for the water of condensation mounted in the bottom of said vessel, a stuifing box being positioned on the axial part of said offtake in order to provide for the rotation, a helical ramp which is mounted on the outer surface of said walls and serves to support a tube which is to be filled with an explosive substance, a recipient for said explosive substance which is wholly or partially contained in the upper part of said vessel, a conduit leading from the said recipient and ending at the exterior of said vessel and at the lower part of the cylindrical walls, thus making connection between the said tube to be filled and the said recipient containing the melted explosive substance.

6. An apparatus for the manufacture of detonating fuses, comprising a vessel having lateral cylindrical walls which is rotatable on its vertical axis and is provided with a steam intake and oiftake for heating its lateral walls, a helical ramp which is mounted on the outer surface of said cylindrical walls and serves to support a tube which is to be filled with the explosive substance, a recipient for said explosive substance which is Wholly or partially contained in the upper part of said vessel, a conduit leading from said recipient which passes through the interior and traverses its wall of said vessel and ends at the exterior of the vessel, being thus connected to the said tube to be filled, said .tube being guided while it is wound upon the said cylindrical vessel by a movable guiding member provided with an arm making contact with one of the spiral turns of the said helical ramp,

7. An apparatus for the manufacture of detonating fuses, comprising a vessel having lateral cylindrical walls which is rotatable on its vertical axis and is provided with a steam intake and ofi'take for heating its lateral walls, a helical ramp which is mounted on the outer surface of said cylindrical walls and serves to support a tube which is to be filled with the explosive substance, a recipient for said explosive substance which is wholly or partially contained in the upper part of said vessel, a conduit leading from said recipient which passes through the interior of said vessel and traverses its wall, and ends at the exterior of the vessel, being thus connected to the said tube to be filled, a guide for the said tube by which it is guided while wound upon said cylindrical vessel, said guide being movable and provided with an arm making contact with one of the spiral 

